Froggie does Tahiti - Part 1: vanilla-scented fish

My good friend Em is in town for a couple of weeks and was kind enough to buy me some surprise goodies from good ol' London. Heston Blumenthal is launching more and more products with Waitrose supermarkets, and one of the latest offerings is flavoured sea salt, packed in the cutest jars.

Vanilla salt, by Heston Blumenthal for Waitrose UK

Of the four I got (vanilla, oak-smoked, coriander and rose and 4-spice), I would try the vanilla tonight. Ever since I went on a tastebud-awakening trip to Tahiti back 10 years ago, I have been obsessed by a local culinary delicacy - fish cooked in a coconut and vanilla sauce.

Vanilla-scented fish, before baking

In french Polynesia, where fish is plentiful and varied, the recipe would traditionally use mahi-mahi (also known as dolphin in the Caribbean), which has a tender and delicate flesh which pairs deliciously with the sweet vanilla. I did not even try to find some in Hong Kong, as I knew this would be impossible, and settled for a nice chunky cod fillet instead (halibut or monkfish would work equally well for this recipe).

Cod fish fillet, deboned & skin off

Les Recettes de Froggie – Tahitian vanilla-scented fish (serves 2)

400gr cod fillets, deboned and skin off

100gr enoki mushrooms (or other rather neutral mushrooms)

4 tbsp coconut cream

vanilla salt (or coarse sea salt flakes + seeds scraped from the inside of a vanilla pod)

a handful of young coriander leaves

aluminium foil

·       Preheat the oven at 200°C.

·       Cut 2 pieces of foil about 30 x 30cm and place them on an oven-proof dish.

·       Place the fish on the foil, slightly curbing the foil upwards to prevent liquids from running in the dish.

·       Add the coconut cream, salt and vanilla (or vanilla salt if you have some), mushrooms and a few coriander leaves.

·       Close the parcels, leaving a space of about 5cm above the fish to allow the steam to circulate during baking.

·       Bake for 20 to 25mn depending on the thickness and type of fish.

·       Serve with saffron steamed rice and a fruity white wine.

Ideal accompaniment: saffron steamed rice

My wine paring for this dish - Cloudy Bay Te Koko
Crisp and floral